Converting to an hei distributor
#1
Converting to an hei distributor
Purchased and installed hei dist for my 71cs, watched about 10 YouTube on how to wire it, they all said run a wire from fuse box to batt terminal on dist. Can someone explain why I can't take ignition wire from the now unnecessary coil into the new dist?
#3
Because it is a resistance wire for points, I believe. You can trigger a standard 5 pin relay with it fed from the battery. Alternatively, you want a 12ga minimum wire tied to the ignition circuit/pink at the ignition switch.
#5
Hei
#8
Any connection through the firewall should be fused, so I would at least put a 20a fuse in line at the ignition switch. The HEI coils like a lot of juice, which a relay would provide. Plus, you don't have to go through the firewall. There's a bunch of ways to skin that cat.
#9
#10
The relay would use the original ignition (resistance) wire to supply its pull-in coil--the power draw of the pull-in coil is so minuscule that there would be virtually zero voltage drop in the ignition wire supplying it.
The relay would switch battery voltage directly to the HEI, bypassing the voltage drops in the interior wiring circuits.
#12
After you get the wiring sorted out, do the ignition curve, All 3 timing events...base, vac, and centrifugal need to be customized to your application, fuel, elevation, and driving habits.
These 3 timing events need to be dialed in along with the air-fuel adjustments. All of this needs to harmonize to yield the best results.
The starting point for an average Oldsmobile with street manners:
1. Base 12-14° (vac canister isolated).
2 Vacuum, another 8-10° @ 750rpm hot curb idle. (now you should be at 20-22° at idle) . Use an adjustable stop vacuum can not an adjustable-rate canister.
3. Total timing all in at ~2800-3000 rpm for a grand total of 36-38-40°
4. using a vacuum gauge adjust the A/F screws to obtain the highest possible vacuum reading. Twist the distributer to get the highest reading. Go back in forth between timing A/F to achieve the highest reading at idle. This is super tuning. Road test and repeat. Spark knock means one of the 3 events needs to be reduced. Heat soak will be your enemy. That's another convo.
These 3 timing events need to be dialed in along with the air-fuel adjustments. All of this needs to harmonize to yield the best results.
The starting point for an average Oldsmobile with street manners:
1. Base 12-14° (vac canister isolated).
2 Vacuum, another 8-10° @ 750rpm hot curb idle. (now you should be at 20-22° at idle) . Use an adjustable stop vacuum can not an adjustable-rate canister.
3. Total timing all in at ~2800-3000 rpm for a grand total of 36-38-40°
4. using a vacuum gauge adjust the A/F screws to obtain the highest possible vacuum reading. Twist the distributer to get the highest reading. Go back in forth between timing A/F to achieve the highest reading at idle. This is super tuning. Road test and repeat. Spark knock means one of the 3 events needs to be reduced. Heat soak will be your enemy. That's another convo.
#13
Hei
After you get the wiring sorted out, do the ignition curve, All 3 timing events...base, vac, and centrifugal need to be customized to your application, fuel, elevation, and driving habits.
These 3 timing events need to be dialed in along with the air-fuel adjustments. All of this needs to harmonize to yield the best results.
The starting point for an average Oldsmobile with street manners:
1. Base 12-14° (vac canister isolated).
2 Vacuum, another 8-10° @ 750rpm hot curb idle. (now you should be at 20-22° at idle) . Use an adjustable stop vacuum can not an adjustable-rate canister.
3. Total timing all in at ~2800-3000 rpm for a grand total of 36-38-40°
4. using a vacuum gauge adjust the A/F screws to obtain the highest possible vacuum reading. Twist the distributer to get the highest reading. Go back in forth between timing A/F to achieve the highest reading at idle. This is super tuning. Road test and repeat. Spark knock means one of the 3 events needs to be reduced. Heat soak will be your enemy. That's another convo.
These 3 timing events need to be dialed in along with the air-fuel adjustments. All of this needs to harmonize to yield the best results.
The starting point for an average Oldsmobile with street manners:
1. Base 12-14° (vac canister isolated).
2 Vacuum, another 8-10° @ 750rpm hot curb idle. (now you should be at 20-22° at idle) . Use an adjustable stop vacuum can not an adjustable-rate canister.
3. Total timing all in at ~2800-3000 rpm for a grand total of 36-38-40°
4. using a vacuum gauge adjust the A/F screws to obtain the highest possible vacuum reading. Twist the distributer to get the highest reading. Go back in forth between timing A/F to achieve the highest reading at idle. This is super tuning. Road test and repeat. Spark knock means one of the 3 events needs to be reduced. Heat soak will be your enemy. That's another convo.
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